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. 2016 Nov 29:6:38092.
doi: 10.1038/srep38092.

Fluorinated benzalkylsilane molecular rectifiers

Zachary A Lamport  1 , Angela D Broadnax  2 , David Harrison  1 , Katrina J Barth  1 , Lee Mendenhall  2 , Clayton T Hamilton  2 , Martin Guthold  1 , Timo Thonhauser  1   3 , Mark E Welker  2 , Oana D Jurchescu  1
Affiliations

Fluorinated benzalkylsilane molecular rectifiers

Zachary A Lamport et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

We report on the synthesis and electrical properties of nine new alkylated silane self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) - (EtO)3Si(CH2)nN = CHPhX where n = 3 or 11 and X = 4-CF3, 3,5-CF3, 3-F-4-CF3, 4-F, or 2,3,4,5,6-F, and explore their rectification behavior in relation to their molecular structure. The electrical properties of the films were examined in a metal/insulator/metal configuration, with a highly-doped silicon bottom contact and a eutectic gallium-indium liquid metal (EGaIn) top contact. The junctions exhibit high yields (>90%), a remarkable resistance to bias stress, and current rectification ratios (R) between 20 and 200 depending on the structure, degree of order, and internal dipole of each molecule. We found that the rectification ratio correlates positively with the strength of the molecular dipole moment and it is reduced with increasing molecular length.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Chemical diagrams of molecules 1–9.
Figure 2
Figure 2
(a) Isometric view of a single AFM scan, (b) general line profile from AFM scan, and (c) schematic representation, to scale, of the SAM on a device substrate showing the significant difference in length for both the long (left) and short (right) molecules compared to the surface roughness.
Figure 3
Figure 3
(a) Schematic of device structure showing a SAM sandwiched between the native SiO2 bottom contact and EGaIn top contact. (b) Current density versus the applied voltage on 25 different spots in a 1 cm × 1 cm area on a film consisting of molecule 3. (c) Bias stress measurements on molecule 6 over 50 consecutive measurements in a single spot.
Figure 4
Figure 4. Representative current density versus applied voltage curves films of molecules 1–9.
Figure 5
Figure 5. Rectification ratio vs. the dipole moment of each molecule. In red we show the results corresponding to the short molecules and in grey for the long molecules.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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